Circular-knitting machine.



F. B. WILDMAN.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

I APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. [914. 216,900.

Patentexl Feb. 20, 1917,

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F. a. WI LDMAN.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Amzs. 1914: 1,216,900. Patented Feb. 20,1917.

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F. B. WILDMAN. I CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APKZQI I914. 1,216,900. u Patented Feb. 20,1917.

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e O o/\\ m i gamut, [ml/mm. wacam 1am; Ana-1mm wiwmfi lowing is a specification.

F ANKB. WILDMAN, or Noams'rowN, PENNSYLVANIA.

cm'coLan-imi'r'rme MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' ran-.111 ed Feb. 20, 1911-.

Application filed April 29, 1914. Serial No. 835,290.

tain new and useful Improvements in Clix cular-Knitting Machines, of which the fol One object of my invention is to provide a circular knitting machine of the cylinder and dial type having the cylinder and dial at right angles to each other in. which dogs, sometimes used heretofore for holding the dial'in fixed relation to the cylinder, are

omitted. Machines without holding dogs be-" tween the cylinder and dial are not new, but my present invention is designed to present a simpler way of accomplishmg the result.

. Another object of my invention is to provide means for centering and maintaining the concentric relation of the rotary cam ring, dial and dial post, with the cylinder The invention consists in the features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of my improved dogless machine; .Figs. 1'", and 1" are views of" details.

Fig. 2 is a plan view-of part of the dia and cylinder of Fig. 1;

Fi 3 is a plan view of the base ring of V the machine;

Fig.4 'is a detail sectional view of one of the centering blocks in place; i Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 4 looking from the right thereof;

Fig. 6is a sectional view of a dogless form of machine ada ted to coarse gages;

Fig. 7 is ap an view of the cylinder and dial of-Fig. 6; t

Fig. 8 isa side view of part of the "cylinder and dial of Fig. 6;- y

Fi 9 is a sectional view showing the ad'- justale centering or 1'egi'stering ?eature of my invention combined in a dogless machine flange 3 resting on a shoulder l of the fixedneedles when, they are projected.

base ring. The can] ring [its loosely into the base ring until it has been centered by the centering blocks described later. The needle cylinder 5 is supported in fixed position upon lugs 6 formed on the interior of the rim 7 of the fixedbasc which lies within the cam ring. The dial 8 is mounted on the dial post, this post, in turn, beingsiuiportcd in the yoke 9 held by the posts 10, the lower ends of which are screwed into the rain ring.

For holding the dial concentric with and in fixed relation to the cyliiulcr, I utilize the dial needles themselves. I fix onthe outside of the cylinder a ring c which is grooved radially to receive the dial These grooves are of such width as will receive the needles without much lateral play. and those projected needles are depended onto hold the dial against turning in relation to the cylinder.

In other words, they take the place of the dogs sometimes employed between the dial axial relation to the cylinder.

(ill

' and cylinder for holding the former in fixed It is not necessary that the dial needle should bottom arrest on the bottom of its guide groove. .Knitters have occasion to raise or lower-the. dial with relation to the cylinder. The slots in my ring (a) are of sufficient depth .to allow for this adjustment.

The ring a may be shrunk on the cylinder or secured in other ways. It is grooved at b vertically to al ow room in which the latches of the cylinder needles may work.

These internal teeth or moves (7)) perform an important duty. t is well known that in latch needle knitting, the latches wear loose and the cylinder needle latches -when closing, will often fail to swing true with their stems, but they will swing sidewise and strike the dial needle stem (which is "close besideit) and fail to close at the proper time, resulting in rupture of the s making a hole in the fabric. Latches slight bent, and others Worn somewhat loose, are

not-necessarily worthless They are to be found in common use in machines that have ioo been in operation long enough for needles to show loosenes's in latches and rivets.

The grooves (b) or internal slots, present two smooth walls to guide-and direct any and all. loose latches, so that holes from latches striking the dial needles is revented, this improvement prolonging the ife of the needles and resulting in a great saving of waste fabric.

As above stated, the dial is mounted ad-' justably on the dial post, which is vertically also in multiple feed machines where the adjustable in the yoke 9 supported by posts from the cam ring.

The cam ring 2 is driven-hr a gear wheel 11 on the shaft 12 meshing with a circular gear or rack 13 on the cam ring.

' Themaintenance of the true coln'entric re 'lation between the dial .and cylinder is of special importance where, as'm the form of dogless machine above described, reliance is had upon the dial needles entering the grooves in the ring surrounding the cylinder,

dial needles should be central between the cylinder needles, and there should be no tend.-

' 'en'cy, jduc tothe eccentric .conditi'on of the wa'bble, also gyrate eccentric to the cylinway to centralize th'"l 'dial supports or driving mechanism, to dis- .place the dial needles in relation to the cyl in'cler needles.

sisted, results in defective fabric and great Such tendency, if-not reresistance to rotation of the machine. ,The sliding of the needles in slots out of aline ment causes a braking action, and consequently great Wea-r'and waste of power results.

. In order to avoid these objections, employ means to centralizethe dial with the cylinder so that all the dial needles are in direct alinement with their corresponding drive oovesin the c linder ,to) or rin b which surrounds the cylinder. Very slight eccentricity of the dial with the cylinder would result in some of the needles being far out of alinement with their corresponding driving slots, and if these needles were forced lnto these slots they would be bent,

or would move with such resistance that "wear of parts would result, and the power wastedwould render the use of the system impracticable.- 3

In' themanufacture of'the us'ual type-of rib machine's it is a diflicultthing to make and assemble the several parts, viz. dial, dial spindle, yoke, posts, cam ring, cylinder and base ring, so that the dial is'exa'ctly concentric with the cylinder. In fact the result is" rarely 'attainethand the. dials generally dew-v due to very slight faults in making and fitting the many arts above mentioned; To

. "j overcomethese (i liic11lties and to simplify as" dog'less rib machines, I have devised a simple doTtlie dial needles 'reglster wit lrtheir"drive 'groov'es, but my lmjprovement' does away with-"the" common eccentric 'gyratory morementfof the dial, and what is equally important perfect s wing of the "dial needles between the cylinder needles during 'the' knittinl'g niovelnents is maintained.

'orde'r toavoid aim objections I miploy a wear'and centering piece or pieces 14 adjustment can be readily made," it being possible to observe theimmediate effect of the adjustment in securing the concentric out. in connection with a coarse gage knitting 'machine without the use-of the exterior;

between the fixed and rotary members, and preferably I mount these upon the fixed base ring in pockets 15 formed therein. These wear pieces are preferably of fiber, and they are arranged to-beanin the particular con;

struction shown, upon the edge of the base flange of the cam ring. They'are adjust- 1'20 apart.

By the use of these centerin pieces adjustable as described, the cylin er and dial members may be made to run true, and it will be observed that the remedial function is applied at thepointwhere the inaccuracy is liable to occur, 5.16., between the contact. surfaces of the revolving and fixed members." These blocks will take 'upthe thrust of the driving gear, take the wear, and being made of fiber, will reduce the heating ,efi'ect. The

relation of, the fixed and rotary parts. v

As shown in Fig. '6, the registering'and' doglessfeature of'my invention I'inaycarry 10c grooved ring above described. In this case the cylinder top isv provided withzgrooves 27 radially disposed and midway. between the vertical groovesin which the cylinder needles work.- Theseradial grooves receivethe dial needles, as illustrated in. Figs. 6, 7

and 8, and-thus form-the; connection by which the dialis, maintained in fixed-relation to the cylinder circumferentially.but 'vertical adjustment is permitted in the usual way the needles not being required to bottom in the; grooves. While this arrange ment is adapted for coarse, gages because it .is possible to providethe groovesin the cylinder-between the cylinder'needleslfor -re-- 7 ceiving the dialneedles, for fine gage-machines there is no room, and hence I'resortto the exterior grooved rin which also allows vertical adjustment oft 'ed'iaL; l While/I have shown the centering means as ,a'necessar element in combination with 'my improve of'less connection-between the I cylinder and dia s'uch centering means may housed withjfither forms of connection such. for instance, as shown in Letters Pdtent'of the United States #1912966. December 26, 1911, granted to. L. Ballad, and Imam Patent of States to 50 Wildman & Ballard, June 22d, 1915, No..

Such a form of machine is shown in Fig. 9, in which the encircling fixed ring 1s shown at 21, substantially the same as shown in the patent and application above noted, the sliding'bolts being indicated at 22 connecting the dial post to the fixed frame ring, the latter being connected by an arm 23 to the posts 2l mounted on the fixed base ring of the machine.

The radiallysliding bolts when in their outward position engage notches in the fixed frame ring, and as these bolts are mounted in a part fixed to the dial post the said post, with the dial, will be helc against rotation, and will be maintained in proper axial relation to the needle cylinder but the dial might run, eccentric or wabble with relation to the cylinder. The sliding bolts are retracted by cams 25 to allow the yarn to pass, it being understood that the bobbin stand 26 rotates with the cam rin of the machine. The retraction of the s lding bolts takes place serz'atim, and hence one or more of the slidin bolts is always in position to hold the dial post against rotation, but there is nothing provided to prevent the dial wab bling or working eccentricswith relation to the cylinder.

From. the above it will be seen that my invention secure a relative fixed position axially between' he cylinder and dial of the machine, that is to say, the dial and cylinder will maintain their circumferential relation to each other because of the needles when advanced serving as a means of connecting these two parts, the centering means insuring concentric condition between the dial and cylinder.

While ,I have shown the centering means consisting of the adjustable blocks in con nection with the feature of utilizing the projccted needles as a means for maintaining a relatively fixed position of the cylinder and dial, the latter feature of my invention is not limitedto its use with centering means.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a dogless rib knitting machine, and in combination, a needle cylinder and dial, cylinder and dial needles, said needle cylinder having a radially grooved portion out beyond the circle'of cylinder needles to receive the dial needles whe advanced for holding the dial and cylinder relatively fixed, cams for the' cylinder needles and cams for the dial needles, the said dial cams projecting all the dial needles and in succession to the same extent to knit with the cylinder needles in forming the rib fabric, each dial needle, when fully advanced, remaining both in e grooveof the dial and in the groove of the cylinder, substantially as described.

2. In combination in a circular knitting machine, a cylinder and dial, needles, suid cylinder having a radially rooved portion toreceive the advanced dia needles which thereby act to hold the dial in fixed relation to the cylirnlcr, a revolving rain ring, a yoke supported thereon. a dial post supported in the yoke, a fixed base ring within. which the revolving cum ring rotates, a gear for driving the cam ring, and centering means to compensate for thetln'nst of the drivinggear and to hold the dial against tipping in relation to the cylinder, and thereby maintain registration of the radial grooves of the cylinder and dial, said centel-ing means comprising a block or blocks forming the bearing between the revolving cam ring and the fixed ring. and means for adjustably holding said block or blocks, sub: stantially as described.

3. In combination 111 a circular rib dogless knitting machine, vertical cylinder needlesand horizontal dial needles, a cylinder'and dial in which the said needles slide, the cylinder having grooves out beyond the plane in which the cylinder needles move to reccive the needles of the dial when projected therefrom, thus maintaining a relatively l axial position of said cylinder and dial and an adjustable device on thebase ring for '95 centering the dial with the cylinder.

4. In combination in'a circular rib dogless cg linder, and

ring surrounding the c linder and grooved} radially to receive the ial needles, and cam. I

means for projecting the dial needles into the grooves of the ring to thereby hold the dial in fixed axial relation to the cylinder and adjustable means to center the dial with the cylinder, substantially as described.

6. In combination in a circular dogless knitting machine,a cylinder and dial, said cylinder having a grooved rin portion to receive the dial needles when they are projected to hold the dial in fixed axial relation to the cylinder, said ring having slots in which the cylinder needle'latches may swing freely, the partition walls of said slots be tween the needles serving to confine the said latches to the space between the dial needles, substantially as described.

7. In combination in a circular rib knittingmachine, a fixed cylinder, a concentric .outer fixed base ring, a dial, a rotary cam ring a yoke and posts connected with the cam ring and supporting the dial, and means supported in the fixed base ring and bearing on the cam ring to center the dial with the cylinder, substantially as described.

8. In colnbination a cylinder and dial with their needles, said cylinder having a ring around its upper portion with slots therein for the passage of the cylinder needles, the walls between said slots confining the latches of the cylinder needles against lateral displacement to preve'ntthem from striking the dial needles in closing, substantially as described.

9. In combination in a dogless rib knitting machine, a vertical cylinder, a horizon tal dial, needles for said cylinder and dial,

said cylinder having a radially grooved portion to receive the dial needles when ad vanced, but with their inner ends remaining in the dial grooves. and means for adjustmg the dlal vertically, the said radial grooves being deep enough to ali'ord by their walls lateral bearing surfaces for the dial needles in all adjustments of the dial, substantially described.

10. In a dogless knitting machine, acylinder and dial, cylinder and dial needles, a ring surrounding the cylinder and out beyond the circle of cylinder needles, said ring being grooved radially to receive the dial needles and slotted "ertically'for the passage of the cylinder needles, and cam means for projecting the dial needles into the radial grooves of said ring While the butt ends of said needles remain in constant engagement with the grooves of the dial to thereby maintain the dial in fixed relation to the needle cylinder, substantially as described.

in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK B. WILDMAN.

In testimony whereof, I ailix my signature Witnesses:

Emma R. Ronnn'rs, OWEN BALLARD. 

